A Disquisition on the Evils of Using Tobacco.
by Orin Fowler.
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS,
BY THE PUBLISHER.
Among the evils which a vitiated appet.i.te has fastened upon mankind, those that arise from the use of Tobacco hold a prominent place, and call loudly for reform. We pity the poor Chinese, who stupifies body and mind with opium, and the wretched Hindoo, who is under a similar slavery to his favorite plant, the Betel; but _we_ present the humiliating spectacle of an enlightened and christian nation, wasting annually more than twenty-five millions of dollars, and destroying the health and the lives of thousands, by a practice not at all less degrading than that of the Chinese or Hindoo.
Whether, then, we consider the folly and indecency of the habit, or the waste of property, health and life which it occasions, it is time for the Patriot, the Philanthropist and the Christian, to put forth united, vigorous and systematic efforts to banish this injurious and disgusting habit from the community.
It is a fact, that one reform not only prepares the way for another, but often so depends upon it, that the complete triumph of the one cannot be effected without that of the other. Such appears to be the relationship existing between the use of intoxicating drinks and that of the stimulating narcotic, tobacco. The use of tobacco almost always accompanies the use of alcoholic drinks, and it may be feared that total abstinence from the latter will not be _permanent_, unless there is also a total abstinence from the former. Our temperance brethren, particularly our worthy Washingtonians, will do well to bear this in mind.
The tobacco reform, being similar to that of temperance, must be brought about by similar means. Information must be diffused, the evils of the practice exposed, and the attention of the public aroused to the subject. To aid in this, is the object of the following pamphlet, two editions of which have already been put in circulation, and it is said to have been re-published in England. The favorable reception of the former editions, as shown by the repeated editorial remarks, and the numerous letters of thanks addressed to the author, affords much encouragement for a vigorous prosecution of the enterprise. Three members of the church of which the author is pastor, placed at his disposal a sum sufficient to supply, gratuitously, each of the 1000 Beneficiaries of the American Education Society, with a copy of the essay. Orders were furnished for bundles for distribution. An individual in Maine ordered 500 copies, and 1000 were ordered by E. C. Delevan, of New York, the distinguished advocate of Temperance.
Let the friends of true reform remember the early days of the temperance cause, and take courage. All interested should exert themselves.
Clergymen can do much by lecturing and other means. Churches should form Anti-Tobacco Societies, circulate information and induce as many as possible to take a stand against the evil, by enrolling their names on a _Pledge_.
Teachers should speak on the subject, and endeavor to prevent the formation of so vile and tyranical a habit, by those under their influence; for it is a fact that lads in many of our public schools try to hasten their claims to _manliness_, by learning to chew, smoke or snuff. This being the case, we may expect, of course, to find these practices prevalent in our academies and colleges, our medical and our law schools and theological seminaries.
In the early records of Harvard University, says Dr. Mussey, is a regulation ordering that "no scholar shall take tobacco unless permitted by the President, with the consent of his parents, on good reason first given by a physician, and then only in a sober and private manner." How different now! Probably one half, at least, of the students of our colleges are, not in a "sober and private manner," but publicly addicted to this slovenly and disgusting practice.
As the use of tobacco is injurious to health, it is the duty of physicians to exert their influence against it. Their authority upon such subjects is generally respected, and is therefore very important.
To the ladies, it would hardly seem necessary to say a word, in order to secure their aid in a reform that so intimately concerns themselves. In this matter, as in the vice of intemperance, woman, though comparatively innocent, is by far the greatest sufferer. With what a melancholy prospect does a young lady marry a man who uses the filthy plant in any form. He may _at first_ do it in a neat, or even a genteel manner, and neutralize the sickening odor by the most grateful perfumes; but this trouble will soon be dispensed with, and in all probability he will, at no distant day, become a sloven, with his garments saturated with smoke, and himself steeped in tobacco juice. Alas, to think of being annoyed a life-time by the nauseous odor of the vile tobacco worm, and of wasting patience and strength in vain endeavors to preserve neatness in his slimy trail! Little can be accomplished in this, or any other reform, without the aid of females. Let them take hold of the subject, and exert their legimate influence, and public opinion will soon be corrected; young men and old too, will soon learn that by no rule in the code of politeness and good breeding, can the use of tobacco be tolerated.
A word to dealers. How can a man who regards the morals, the happiness and the prosperity of his neighborhood and his country, deal out so useless, so filthy, and so injurious an article as tobacco? Many will of course, excuse themselves by saying as the rum-sellers once did, "If I don"t sell it, others will," This plea did not justify the rum-seller, neither will it, the dealer in tobacco. Others will say, "I _must_ sell it, or I shall offend my patrons and lose their custom." But this is not valid even as a selfish argument. A large and increasing portion of the community would be glad to patronize traders who sell only the useful and necessary articles of life. Let respectable traders cease to sell the article, and respectable customers would soon cease to buy it.
The abominable filthiness of the practice of using tobacco, is a sufficient argument to induce all decent people to wage war against it.
Stage coaches, rail cars, steamboats, public houses, courts of justice, halls of legislation, and the temples of G.o.d, are all defiled by the loathsome consumers of this dirty, Indian herb. For the sake of decency, for the honor of humanity, let the land be purified from this worse than beastly pollution!
Let none be discouraged from engaging in this reform, because it relates to a wide-spread and fashionable vice. With a moderate degree of effort in each town and village, hundreds of thousands might in one year"s time, be induced to pledge themselves against all use of tobacco.
During the last winter I drew up the following pledge, and obtained many signatures here and in other parts of the state.
ANTI-TOBACCO PLEDGE.
_We, the subscribers, believing that the use of_ TOBACCO, _in all its forms, is injurious to health, and knowing it to be a slovenly, s.l.u.ttish, and disgusting habit, do pledge ourselves that we will not_ SMOKE _it_, CHEW _it, nor_ SNUFF _it; and that we will use efforts to persuade those addicted to the practice, to discontinue its use; and above all, that we will not traffic in it, nor countenance those who do; and that we will use our influence to banish the "vile stuff"
from New England, our country, and the world._
A gentleman in North Bridgewater, to whom I lent a pamphlet on this subject, said he had not read it half through, before he emptied his pockets of tobacco, and resolved to use no more. He also took a pledge to circulate among his neighbors.
Another man who had chewed tobacco thirty-three years, abandoned the habit and remarked that he would not return to it for fifty dollars.
Two benevolent individuals, in Providence, had two or three hundred copies of the above pledge printed to circulate in the State of Rhode Island. One of the princ.i.p.al clergymen in P. said, a member of his church, a trader, told him that the money paid for tobacco in the city was sufficient to support the public preaching. A gentleman there, who has recently given up tobacco, said he would not go back to its use for a thousand dollars, although it cost him a great effort to refrain from it. A young man, after receiving a private lecture from an anti-tobacco friend, committed to the flames half a dozen cigars he had by him, and signed the pledge.
I have conversed with very many addicted to the use of tobacco, and nearly all express regret at having formed the habit.
A few days since in a town not far from Providence, as I was sitting in the stage about starting for the city, up came a reverend gentleman, a very fine man by the way, with a big cigar about half burned. He had too much good breeding to get into the stage with it, and to all appearance, disliked to part with so good a friend; he accordingly stood outside and puffed away like a steamer, at the same time keeping an eye on the driver; when all was ready, he scrambled in, and we drove off. What an example, for a clergyman to stand in a public street and puff a cigar like a loafer or a blackguard!
Rev. Mr. C., in a village adjoining Providence relates, that a brother clergyman called to preach for him. He was in the habit of chewing tobacco, and Mr. C. took the opportunity to speak to him on the subject.
At first the brother remarked that there was nothing wrong or injurious in it; but on Mr. C"s pressing the matter and asking how he could preach "righteousness, temperance" and good habits in all things, when he was himself addicted to such a practice, the brother frankly acknowledged that he knew he was setting a bad example, and that tobacco was poisonous, injurious to health and shortened life, but he excused himself by saying he _could not_ give it up, for he found it _impossible_ to write a sermon or preach it with any success, without taking tobacco. Sermons and preaching inspired by tobacco! What better is this, than the inspiration of brandy?
Rev. Mr.----, now of Boston, formerly of a neighboring city, is a most excessive smoker and chewer, so much so that it was a matter of notoriety and remark among his congregation and acquaintances of his former residence. He was a very agreeable man in other respects, but his study, his library, and every thing about him were so completely saturated with tobacco smoke, that the ladies of his church rarely made him a call, and more rarely borrowed a book from his extensive and excellent library.--Is it not time for clergymen to reform themselves in this particular, and then consistently to set about reforming others.
I have recently learned that many _ladies_ are in the habit of _chewing snuff!_ Some of them become so addicted to it as to use enormous quant.i.ties in this way. "One of these snuff eaters," I was told, "was accustomed to take herself by the under lip with one hand, and with the thumb and four fingers of the other to fill in an embankment between her lips and teeth." Shocking! Yet, what young lady who carries a concealed snuff-box, can be sure of not coming to this?
I saw a woman who commenced with chewing snuff, and is now a regular tobacco chewer. She said however, that she intended to give up the habit and refrain from tobacco in all its forms.
Unless something is done to check the evil, who can say that we shall not become as bad as the inhabitants of Cuba, where, according to Rev.
Mr. Ingersoll, "not only men, but _women_ and _children_ smoke, and some at a large expense." And according to Rev. Dr. Abbot, "it was the common estimate that in Havana, there was an average consumption of _ten thousand dollars worth of cigars in a day_."
BOSTON, July, 1842.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
_From the Rochester Observer._
"Fowler on the Evils of using Tobacco.--"A disquisition on the evils of using tobacco, and the necessity of an immediate and entire reform," by Rev. Orin Fowler, of Fall River, Ma.s.s. This is a very valuable and instructive discourse. We have for two years or more been fully convinced that the use of tobacco, in its three common forms, ought immediately to be abandoned; but never were we so fully sensible of the alarming extent and tremendous ravages of this evil, as when we had read this production. We think no _christian_, who is willing to know and do his duty, can read this pamphlet, without saying on the spot, if he uses tobacco, (except it be judiciously prescribed by a physician.) the use of this poisonous, deleterious weed is a _grievous sin_, and I will abandon it _immediately and forever_.
Mr. F. lays down the position that it is the duty of every man and woman to abstain immediately, entirely and forever, from all use of tobacco, whether by chewing, smoking or snuffing, except it be as a medicine.
In favor of this point he offers the following arguments, which we think he has fully sustained, by well attested facts, quotations from approved authors, and the deductions of sound reasoning.
1. The history of this loathsome weed. It has ever since its discovery been considered exceedingly injurious, and its general use opposed by judicious men.
2. Its ruinous effect upon the health and const.i.tution of men.
3. Its ruinous effects upon the intellect.
4. Its ruinous effects upon public and private morals.
5. The amazing waste of property which its use involves.
6. The mortality which its use occasions.
7. The apologies made by the lovers of tobacco.
8. The eternal ruin which tobacco occasions.
We intend in our next to give extracts from this discourse. We hope it will have a wide circulation, and would commend it to the careful perusal of all christians, especially to ministers, who use this vile and ruinous plant."